Title: Corrupt
Author: Penelope Douglas
Genre: Dark | Erotica | Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Tour Hosted by: As the Pages Turn
Erika
I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.
His name is Michael Crist.
My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.
But I noticed him.
I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.
Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.
Because he’s finally noticed me.
Michael
Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.
My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.
Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.
In my city.
Unprotected.
The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.
We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.
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“When we used to wear the masks,” Michael said, dropping his voice to a near whisper, “you liked it, didn’t you? It scared you, but it turned you on.”I raised my hesitant eyes and tried not to let out a laugh. What was I supposed to say? That the fact that they’d looked like monsters got me hot?I shook my head clear and stood up, saying in a quiet voice. “I’m going to bed.”
I grabbed my phone and took a step, but Michael’s voice stopped me.
“Come here,” he said softly.
I turned my head, narrowing my eyes. Come here?
He sat up, resting his forearms on his knees and waiting, while I shifted on my feet.
He was always playing games. I didn’t trust him.
But the temptation to engage was too great. He was right. I was getting good at it, and I kind of liked it, too.
I took slow steps, holding up my chin to steel myself.
When I reached him, he placed a hand on my hip and pulled me in between his legs. I gasped as he fell back against the sofa again, pulling me in with him. I shot my hands out, planting them on both sides of his head on the back of the couch, keeping myself upright as I leaned into him.
“Say it,” he breathed out, holding my hips with both hands now. “It turned you on.”
I closed my mouth and shook my head, looking down at him with a challenge.
“I know it did,” he maintained, a fire in his eyes. “Did you think I couldn’t see how tense your body would get or how your nipples got hard through your shirt when you saw me wearing it? You’re a little twisted. Admit it.”
I folded my lips between my teeth, turning my head away.
But then he tipped his chin up and caught my nipple between his teeth through my tank top, and I closed my eyes, letting out a small cry.
Oh, God!
The heat of his mouth swooped into my stomach as he released my nipple and then snatched it up again, dragging it out between his teeth.
“I’ve got the mask upstairs,” he taunted, kissing and nibbling on me through my shirt. “I can get it if you want me to.”
No. No, I wasn’t like that.
I pushed away from him, but he held me firm.
“Michael, let me go.”
But then I felt my phone vibrate in my hand, and I quickly glanced at the screen, seeing no name with the number. Reading the number, though, I noticed that it was his mother’s. That’s strange. I thought I had her number saved in my Contacts.
But I let it go, remembering that my mom was with her. I needed to take this call.
Planting my fists on Michael’s chest, I shoved him away. “Get off me. Your mom’s calling.”
All he did was laugh, though, and my face fell.
He grabbed my arm and threw me down onto my stomach and came down on my back, pinning me to the couch.
I breathed hard and fast, feeling his cock press against my ass as he snatched my phone out of my hand.
I stared wide-eyed as he placed it a few inches in front of me, his finger hovering over the green Answer button.
“Michael, no,” I rushed out, panic making my lungs ache.
But he swiped the screen anyway. The ringing stopped, and I heard silence as she waited for me to say something.
“Say hi,” he whispered in my ear.
It’s testosterone overload at Dirty Girl Romance today, because not only do I have THE Michael Crist, but also Kai Mori. Let’s just say that I’m just a little excited to have both these men with me tonight to answer some of my most pertinent questions. So without further ado, let’s do this!
DGR: Michael, can you introduce yourself by telling us a little about yourself?
Michael: I think before I act, but you won’t see me coming. That’s all you need to know.
DGR: What would you say is your biggest strength? And your biggest weakness?
Michael: Rika. On both accounts. She makes me better, happier, and more alive, but she’s also almost always the center of every decision I make.
DGR: You grew up with quite a bit of wealth and prestige, has that affected the man that you are now?
Michael: I’m sure. I don’t know what it’s like on the other side, but I would assume that when you don’t have to worry about where your food and rent is coming from, the world is full of possibilities.
But it’s also full of restraints, people watching you, and having an opinion about your life and future…
I was lucky to get a basketball scholarship to Westgate, because there’s no way my father would’ve paid for me to go there when he had other expectations. It’s a conundrum, isn’t it? You can grow up poor and quite possibly have no future and few, if any, opportunities. Or you can grow up wealthy, with Evans Crist as a father, and have your future already planned from the day you graduate college to the day you enter the grave.
I took option C: free fall.
DGR: Let’s be blunt here, you’re hot as hell, why are you still single?
Michael: Probably because I’m only 23. And probably because I was waiting for Rika to grow up. 😉
DGR: How would you describe your ideal woman?
Michael: Smart, clever, she owns the room….Rika.
DGR: Let’s deviate to Kai for a minute. Kai, you and Michael have been friends for many years, how did you first meet and did anything in particular strengthen your bond through the years?
Kai: We first met in high school, first year, at basketball tryouts. I’m not sure how it happened, but Will, Michael, Damon, and I just all found each other on the court. When it was time to pass, one of them was there. We read each other, and we were always in sync. Immediately, we began hanging out, and after the rigid workout schedule, the games, and the practices we eventually became inseparable. We found that ability to be in sync transferred over to life as well.
So yeah, it was basketball. Even after we got out, it was the first thing we all did together. It felt normal.
DGR: (For Kai) If you had to describe yourself in 5 words, what would they be?
Kai: To define is to limit.
DGR: (for Kai) Now what about your single status, any ladies in particular you have your eye on?
Kai: No.
DGR: (For Kai) Let’s address the elephant in the room, you’ve been gone for 3 years and I know you don’t want to talk about where you’ve been, but can you tell us if the past three years changed who you are?
Kai: *laughs* Yeah, we know exactly where I’ve been. The thing is…I deserved what I got. When I thought Rika, someone we trusted, had turned us in, that was a different matter, but I know I broke the law, and while I’m not sorry I did it, I’m not angry I got punished.
I just…I don’t see the world the same way I did. Things changed, and I feel different. Stronger, maybe. I’m wearing a new skin now, and I kind of like it.
DGR: (For Kai) You, Michael, Damon and Will are all thick as thieves. Is there anyone in particular that you’re closest to, and why?
Kai: I think Michael and I were closest. We trusted each other’s opinions more. But I’m not so sure that’s true anymore. He trusts her opinion now, which I’m happy for him, but like I said…things changed.
DGR: (Michael) Same question
Michael: We’re all close. Take out Damon, and insert Rika, and it’s still the four of us.
DGR: (For Kai and Michael) Who are the four horsemen?
Death, Famine, Conquest, and War. The four riders brought forth by God to bring about the Apocalypse. We got the name during high school, because the sight of us on the court was certain death for the opposing team. It was hype, but it worked.
DGR: (For Kai and Michael) You both seem to have a very…interesting…relationship with Erika Fane. Anything in particular that you can say is drawing you to her?
Michael: Her wit, her fight, her dark side…she’s part of me.
Kai: She knew me, what I’d been through, and it felt comfortable. She soothes me.
DGR: Let’s close it up on an interesting note and get really personal for a second. Because let’s face it, you are at DIRTY Girl Romance, Michael, if you had to describe your perfect sex, what would it be? Missionary? Doggy style? Something more…kinky?
Michael: The position isn’t as much of a turn on as the location and situation. I like the danger of almost getting caught. Like last week when all the players and their girlfriends and wives took a limo bus to a party at some mansion in the country. Rika and I were way in the back seat, it was dark, she was in my lap, and…we didn’t go all the way but far enough to make it a very frustrating night until we could find somewhere private.
DGR: Kai, same goes?
Kai: Something more…kinky.
Three years ago, curious little Erika Fane wanted to play with the boys, so we indulged her, and she betrayed us. There was no way we’d forget.
How in the ever loving hell do I even begin reviewing this book?! Honestly. I’m completely at a loss for words. So my only way out is to be vague as shit and trust me when I tell you you’ll thank me for it. You want to know absolutely nothing about this book. Even the very minute detail can be a spoiler. If you want my advise, avoid reviews altogether and go in absolutely blind. Hell, don’t even read the blurb.
First of all, while this book is categorized dark, I wouldn’t agree with that. It’s a heck of a lot darker than anything Penelope Douglas has written and surely a leap away from anything she’s written in the past. But dark? Well, on my scale, I’d rate it a light gray. It was erotic, and very edgy, but if you compare to the Pepper Winters, CJ Roberts, or the like, it’s not quite on the same scale. It’s also not for everyone. Penelope took some risks with this one and there are some scenes and occurrences that may not agree with everyone. But this girl? Devoured it like the crack that it was.
Erika Fane has been in love with Michael Crist. He captivated her with his brooding intensity, drew her in with his aloofness, and completely disregarded her. But something about him, something behind his eyes drew her to him like a moth to a flame. Erika was too young to really know. Too naive to really see. And she was also dating Michael’s younger brother. Now she’s single, in a new city by herself for college, and fully in Michael’s crosshairs….
Michael Crist is a force to be reckoned with. He’s enigmatic, rich, and used to not playing by the rules. Erika may have had the run of his house growing up, but now she’s finally where he wants her. No longer under the protection of his family, no longer dating his brother. She’s alone…and his to do with what he wants. And what he wants is revenge. He won’t rest until she’s paid restitution for what she did to him and his friends those fateful three years ago. He’ll make her pay, even if he has to corrupt her fully to do it…
Say it, Rika.”
“I’m a good girl,” she panted, her voice shaky.
“And I’m going to fuck you up.”
I don’t remember the last time a book kept me up all night reading. I inhaled it in one sitting, completely enraptured. It was positively spellbinding and unlike anything I’d have ever expected from this author. There’s one thing to say for Penelope’s writing, it’s absolutely captivating. She knows how to draw her readers in, how to make her characters so alive they practically leap off the pages at you. Michael was that character for me. He was so intense, in a way that equal parts terrified and seduced. The fact that you get both his and Rika’s POV only serves to draw you in fully into the story. Even when he does something that you want to hate him for, even when Rika does something you want to throttle her for, you can’t put it down. It was like an addiction. I had to have a hit. I simply couldn’t stop until I knew what was going on. And Penelope keeps you hanging on that edge of suspense until the last page. They mystery behind everything is what really captured my interest. It’s told in flashbacks of three years ago and present, but it’s weaved together flawlessly. I know some readers don’t enjoy the flashbacks from past to present, but it truly worked it. It’s what drove the plot and the mystery. It whetted the appetitive for more.
I read this 2 days ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. There was one particular scene that really threw me and made me wonder if it was really necessary. However, after giving it some though, it was barely a blip on my radar. I also wished for a bit of something from Michael at the end (I won’t say what because I’m a teasing bitch like that) but you’ll see what I mean once you read it. But once again, thinking on it some more, Penelope stayed true to his character, and having him handle it any other way would not have been that. So I can respect that.
While young Rika frustrated me at first, I loved seeing her grow that backbone and truly come into her own throughout the book. She certainly gave as good as she got, and she got plenty. Michael is the epitome of an anti-hero that you’ll love to hate.
Corrupt is much sexier than any of Penelope’s other books that I can’t even compare. The woman can write the hell out of a sex scene, let me just tell you. But everything about her writing just worked for me. Get ready to be Corrupted, because after reading this, you will never be the same.
Penelope Douglas is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Fall Away series.
She dresses for autumn year round, loves anything lemon flavored, and believes there is too much blood in her Coca Cola stream. Or too much Coca Cola in her blood stream. Or…
You know what? It doesn’t matter. She loves Coke. Now you know.
She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and daughter.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Goodreads
The following goodies are up for grabs!
- (1) Signed copy of Corrupt + $100 Amazon or B&N gift card, winner’s choice (Intl)
- (2) $20 Amazon or B&N gift card, winner’s choice (Intl)
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